ONE LAST TIME . . . heroes of olympus

35.5

KATERINA FELT BOTH uncomfortable and comfortable with Jason's arm around her shoulders and Piper's arm around hers.

She used to be a very tactile person. Always needing to touch someone else, either by pressing against their sides or holding hands or even just having a hand for her fingers to tap on. She'd used Leo for this many times, sitting next to each other in the mess hall in the Argo II and using her free hand to tap on his hand the message that he'd ingrained into her, or standing next to each other during meetings so pressed together they were practically one person. She'd also used Frank for this many times as well; as kids they'd always tried to piggyback ride each other, and they used to cuddle each other platonically. And don't even get her started with how her and Jason and Piper had been in the past.

But now she was sort of uncomfortable with touching people and being touched. She was most comfortable with Julia, because why wouldn't she be, she saw her basically every day, and when she saw Leo and Frank and Hazel she's more tactile toward them, but otherwise she has an adversity to touch. She hated it when people she didn't trust tried to touch her, especially when healing her. And she hasn't had a romantic partner since Jason and Piper.

So, yeah, Katerina had a love-hate relationship with the situation she was in, and she couldn't decide which side she was leaning toward.

"So!" Piper said, bringing her back to reality. "How do you feel about sushi? There's a place near here with some vegetarian options, and I've wanted to try it out."

Katerina shrugged. "I'm down," she said. "I love food."

"All food?" Jason chuckled. "Even cilantro and Brussel sprouts?"

"Oh my god, no," she scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Cilantro tastes like soap, milaya. Why does it taste like soap? It's literally disgusting. And Brussel sprouts are just the spawn of Hades. Uh, no offense, Hades."

"And Nico and Hazel," Piper added, smirking, and Katerina thought, shit. No one would tell Hazel about this. Everything would be fine. "But you're wrong, Rina. About both of them."

"You are the one in the wrong," argued Katerina. "How do you willingly eat something that tastes like soap?"

"Because it doesn't taste like soap to me."

"That's not a me issue."

"Yeah, well—"

"Ladies," Jason interrupted, ever the peacekeeper. "We're here."

Katerina shut her mouth and looked to see a pretty simple exterior to a sushi place. When they went inside, it was also just a normal restaurant. They got ushered to a table and sat, ordering some appetizers.

"I'm so hungry," she whined, putting her arms on the table and perching her head on them, staring down at the menu. "Thinking about what I want to order is making me hungry."

"Don't you have a mini fridge in your office?" asked Piper.

"I didn't have time to go to my office before going to the mission," Katerina pouted. "I spent literally all my time this morning calling Jason."

"And whose fault is that?" He smiled, but there was a hint of a smirk in it.

She let out a harrumph. "Yours. Definitely yours."

He laughed. "Keep dreaming, Rina."

"I will be dreaming. Of food." She said grumpily. "Because you didn't let me have enough time to grab breakfast before going to my meeting."

"Speaking of," Piper piped up. Hah. Piper piped. Katerina was the funniest person in human existence. "What was your meeting about?"

Katerina sighed. "Malysh—"